Harry Kane needs to step up and lead his Tottenham Hotspur side by example in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. His side face Manchester City, who themselves are competing on multiple fronts for title and cup success. The Citizens have been flying this season and Spurs will need Kane at his best to have a chance of taking a lead to the Ethiad.
Harry Kane‘s Leadership Vital in Tottenham Champions League Quarter-Finals
Be Clinical
One issue that Tottenham have persistently perpetuated is a criminal lack of finishing. Most recently, in the dismal defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League, both Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli missed crucial chances which could have swung the match to a 2-1 Spurs victory. Over the course of the season, this adds up.
A case in point is Manchester City who, in comparison, have scored 23 more goals in the Premier League. Their goal difference in the league won’t help them in Europe of course, but their goal-getting skills are transferrable. Indeed, they shocked Schalke with a 10-2 aggregate scoreline to proceed into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Kane is the best finisher in the Spurs squad. Furthermore, he is the one player with the ability to keep his calm in the big matches. This includes a phenomenal penalty record; scoring 18 penalties in a row, including salvaging a point and thus revoking Arsenal’s bragging rights in the 1-1 draw. Also take, for example, his finish against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the round of 16. This was a match of very few chances. Nevertheless, on the break Kane made it look deceptively easy to beat Roman Burki.
Lead by Example
Whilst Hugo Lloris is the captain, Kane is the deputy and the leading voice further up the pitch. He clearly has the right kinds of leadership qualities after captaining England in the 2018 World Cup. Now, in this crucial point of the season, and with facing Manchester City three times in eleven days, he will need to offer as much encouragement and support as possible.
Coupled with the historic lack of finishing chances comes an inveterate narrative of weak-mindedness in the squad. To some extent, this has been banished, but still there remains some hesitancy and complacency. The double whammy of Sissoko not having the confidence to finish his chance and Lloris’ failure to take command of his box just seconds later were both issues of mentality against Liverpool. Clearly, both players are able to compete at the highest levels of the game, technically speaking.
Thus, Kane must show his teammates the example to follow. He is always chasing down opponents and willing to chase back and make a tackle deep into his half. And it is again his goalscoring and his calmness in finishing or indeed in possession of the ball that will inspire the others.
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Despite Kane’s clear positive influence on the squad in terms of goals, his return from injury has resulted in a dismal run of results. The club fell to defeat against Burnley, Chelsea, Liverpool and Southampton. This streak was broken against Crystal Palace, with Kane playing a part in Christian Eriksen‘s second goal. It is ridiculous to argue that the free-scoring talismanic presence of Kane resulted in Spurs’ defeats, though. There is no other player in the squad that has contributed 20 goals a season so consistently. Heung-Min Son grabbed the first goal at the new stadium and is making his name. But, he will always be Kane’s deputy. Nevertheless, the pair should combine their efforts if Tottenham want to continue their European campaign. At their new, true home, under the lights, Kane can grab his first goal in this new Spurs era.
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